Meant to Be
by Lost in Day Dreams
Summary: We all know the story of how Oliver and Lisa were reunited in France after the war and were married later. But what if Oliver got engaged to someone else before they were reunited? Would our favorite couple realize their love before it was too late?
1. More to the Story

**Drucker's General Store**

It started out like any other day in the town of Hooterville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and all around, the residents in the small city were going about their usual routines, either tending to their crops or running their small businesses (or in Mr. Haney's case, crooked businesses). Amongst those people was Mr. Drucker, who at the moment was busy sorting through boxes of mail and preparing for yet another "Old Mail Day", which was quickly approaching. He had gotten through a good number of boxes when a trio of very well known customers walked in to his general store.

"Well, good morning Mr. and Mrs. Douglas! Good morning, Eb," he greeted them warmly. He put aside the numerous boxes of mail before him before resuming his regular stance at the cash register.

"Hello, Mr. Drucker," Lisa replied, though her sentence was somewhat mangled by her thick Hungarian accent. Eb strolled up to the register and returned Mr. Drucker's hello with a big goofy smile of his own, and Oliver merely nodded and smiled politely.

"Well, what can I do you for today," Mr. Drucker asked, scanning the three of them for any clue.

"Yes," Oliver piped up before his wife or hired hand had a chance to answer, "We just came in to get our mail."

"And four packages of spas-ghetti," Lisa added quickly, almost to the point where it wasn't understandable.

"Excuse me," Mr. Drucker asked in confusion, but instead of getting an answer, he saw Oliver slowly turn towards Lisa with a stern look on his face, almost as a father gazes upon a child when they spoke out of turn.

"Lisa, I told you, we are not getting anymore spaghetti."

"But vhy not," Lisa whined in return, sticking out her lower lip in disappointment.

"Because, you're last few attempts at making spaghetti ended up all over our ceiling! We still haven't gotten the remnants down," Oliver replied with a frustrated roll of his eyes.

"Vell, how vas I supposed to know mixing vinegar and baking soda vould cause it to explode like that," Lisa challenged.

"It says on the vinegar bottle! 'Do not mix with baking soda!' Besides, those ingredients do not belong in spaghetti anyhow!"

"Oh, but Olivah! Just give me one more chance," she begged. "I promise I von't make anything explode again!

"No! End of discussion," Oliver replied resolutely, but Eb quickly jumped in to add more.

"Aw, come on dad! Let mom have her fun!"

"Don't call me dad," Oliver retorted, nearly exploding with anger himself. "And you're not allowed to have a say in this! You're the one who have her the half-brained idea to use vinegar and baking soda in the first place!"

"Did you just call me half-brained," Lisa asked him incredulously, looking as if she was about ready to smack him. Oliver quickly put his hands up in defense.

"Of course not, I said the _idea_ was half-brained!"

"So you were implying that _I'm_ half-brained," Eb cut in angrily. Oliver rolled his eyes in Eb's direction.

"Well, if the shoe fits," he retorted hotly. This led the three to get into a bitter argument until all of what they were saying blended together into one chaotic din. Seeing that tensions were beginning to run too high, Mr. Drucker put on his post master hat and sorted through a bag of mail that had just arrived that morning until he found one with the name Douglas written across it. Hoping to high heaven it would be enough to distract them, he raised the letter over his head.

"You got one letter here, Mr. Douglas," he said, having to yell to be heard over the noise. "It's from a Leslie Dubois."

At the mention of that name, all arguments immediately ceased and a stunned silence seemed to follow. Simultaneously, all three of them slowly turned their faces to stare at Mr. Drucker, the same look of shock etched across all of their faces. Mr. Drucker started a bit from the intense looks they gave him and returned their looks with a surprised one of his own.

"Was it something I said," he asked, seeming to snap the group out of their reverie. Oliver, whose mouth was nearly hanging open, shook his head to clear it a bit but never lost that flabbergasted look in his eyes.

"Leslie Dubois," he repeated her name slowly, as if turning it over in his mind. "I haven't thought of that name in years!"

"Who's Leslie Dubois," Mr. Drucker asked, but the three carried on as if he hadn't spoken.

"Neither have I," Lisa added, absentmindedly walking over to her husband and taking his hand.

"Who's Leslie Dubois," Mr. Drucker tried again, but he still remained in the dark as he was once again ignored completely.

"Why would she write to you just all of a sudden like that," Eb asked, looking as thoroughly confused as Mr. Drucker was, but for different reasons. "I thought that part of your lives was over.

"What part," the general store owner asked, attempting a new approach but failing miserably.

"I thought it was," Oliver answered, prompting a stern look from Lisa. "I mean, I know it is," he quickly amended himself, "but apparently Leslie doesn't think so."

"Who's Leslie Dubois," Sam Drucker practically screamed, causing the trio to jump in surprise. Oliver smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Drucker. Leslie Dubois was….well, she was….," he came close to just spilling out the whole tale, but he quickly decided against the matter. After all, reliving what could have been the biggest mistake of his life was just too painful. Instead, Oliver shook his head. "Oh, forget it! It's too long of a story!"

"Oh come on, Olivah! I would love to hear it again," Lisa prompted him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah," Mr. Drucker added, "and I have all day to hear it!"

"But I don't! I have farm work to do," Oliver insisted and attempted to make a quick exit, but Lisa's firm grasp on his hand prevented him from doing so.

"Oh come on, dahling! Please," she begged him, giving the pout she knew her husband could not resist. Oliver sighed.

"Fine," he relented, causing Lisa to jump for joy and give him a peck on the cheek. Despite himself, he smiled at the warm, familiar gesture and seemed to gather strength from it. He took a seat in the middle of the store, prompting the others to do the same, and took a deep breath before beginning his narrative.

"Well, do you remember when we told you how my wife and I met during the war and were reunited in Paris," Oliver asked Mr. Drucker. Mr. Drucker thought a while before responding.

"Oh yes! You proposed to Mrs. Douglas and were married after you got her father's blessing."

"Well….it's not quite as simple as that," Oliver confessed, offering Mr. Drucker a somewhat sheepish smile. "We sort of left a chunk of the story out."

"A big chunk," Lisa threw in.

"Huge," Eb offered as well.

"Will you two stop helping," he Oliver snapped at them before returning his attention back to Mr. Drucker.

"You see, I was actually engaged to be married to Leslie Dubois, that woman who sent us that letter, before I proposed to Mrs. Douglas." Mr. Drucker's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"So you mean you were reunited with your wife _after _you had gotten engaged to another woman," he asked incredulously. Oliver nodded in affirmation.

"And it's a long sorted story after that," he added in a somewhat tired tone.

"As I said, I have all day," Mr. Drucker responded cheerfully. Oliver sighed once more.

"Well, it all started twelve years ago….."

ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Hello again! Sorry this one kinda got off to a slow start, I had a hard time coming up with ideas for the intro. But don't worry, from here on out, it'll be nothing but romance, a bit of drama, and a forbidden love! Doesn't that sound exciting! Well anyway, hope you enjoyed it thus far and reviews are greatly appreciated! Ciou for now!


	2. Twelve Years Ago

**Twelve Years Earlier, a little café in Paris**

Oliver couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it. No matter how many times he replayed the scene over and over in his head, he still couldn't believe it. He had found her! He had found the woman who rescued him from a band of bloodthirsty Nazis. She had saved his life. And now here they were together again; reunited in Paris of all places. The city of love. And he was holding her in his arms and kissing her like he so wanted to do that day in the barn. He just couldn't believe his luck.

Suddenly, alarm bells began to sound loudly in his head as a name popped up into his mind. _Leslie, _he thought. His fiancée. Here he was kissing another woman when he was engaged to married in a matter of weeks. How insensitive could he be? So, reluctantly, Oliver pulled away from the beautiful blonde woman he was kissing now and took a couple of steps back to put some space between them.

"Um, Lisa," he began to apologize to her, but she interrupted him.

"Oh Olivah, I'm so happy to see you again," she gushed. "I thought I never would!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Lisa. Really, I am, but there is something you should know…"

"How long are you going to be in Paris? I could give you a tour all around the city, if you vould like! It will be so much fun!"

"Lisa, I really should tell you something," he attempted again, but Lisa would here none of it. Instead, she stepped gracefully of the stage and took his hand in hers.

"I thought of you constantly vhile ve vere apart, Olivah," she confessed to him. "No von has ever made me feel the vay you made me feel in that von day."

At that beautiful statement, all plans of telling her he was engaged were completely forgotten. As he stared deeply into her chocolate brown eyes, a warm feeling came upon him, and he couldn't help but clasp her hand more tightly in his.

"Lisa, I…" he began, but all of a sudden another female voice interrupted him from behind.

"Oliver, darling, there you are," the voice exclaimed, causing Oliver to jump in surprise.

"Leslie," he cried, immediately letting go of Lisa's hand and whirling around to face her. He could feel shame color his cheeks as he grinned sheepishly at her. "What are you doing her?"

"I had told you I would meet you for lunch," she reminded him. She turned her gaze to Lisa and haughtily looked her up and down.

"Who's this," she asked, her tone as icy as the look in her eyes.

"This," he indicated proudly, "is Lisa Gronyitz. She's the woman I was telling you about. Lisa," he turned his attention towards her, "is Leslie Dubois…" he hesitated a bit before adding the next part, "my fiancée."

Oliver watched guiltily as Lisa's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really," she asked, a trace of anger in her voice. Oliver turned his sheepish smile towards her and tried his best to communicate his apology to her with his eyes. Leslie seemed oblivious to all this and rushed over to Lisa to clasp both her hands in her own.

"Oh, so _you're_ the one he's been telling me about?! Oh, I don't know how I could ever thank you enough for saving him," she gushed as she leaned over and gave Lisa an appreciative peck on the cheek. Lisa smiled politely at her but kept her angry gaze fixed on Oliver.

"I have a marvelous idea," Leslie added, "why don't you join us for lunch! I know this wonderful little bistro just a few blocks away from here! It will be our treat!"

"Oh that's not really necessary," Lisa refused, but Leslie just shook her head.

"Nonsense! It's the least we could do after all you did for us!" Tears of emotion welled up in her eyes as she continued. "Had it not been for you, I never would have met the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with." The tears that had welled now streamed down her cheeks. Leslie took in a ragged breathe and delicately wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Excuse me," she said breathlessly before rushing off to the ladies room.

_God forbid she would look anything less than perfect_, Oliver thought sarcastically as he stared after her, shaking his head in disbelief while doing so. She had always had a flair for drama, and that day was no exception. As he turned his attention back to Lisa, he cringed when he saw the still present fury in her expression.

"You're engaged," she asked incredulously.

"In my defense, I tried to tell you," he responded quickly, but it did nothing to quell Lisa's rage.

"You let me go one kissing you and pouring my heart out to you vhile you vere engaged?!"

"Lisa, I'm sorry! I was just so happy to see you, I just kind of…forgot."

"How can you forget to tell someone you're engaged?!"

"Lisa, please believe me! I didn't mean to hurt you in any way," Oliver insisted, but Lisa shook her head vehemently.

"I need to leave," she said as she grabbed her belongings and headed for the door, but Oliver quickly began to trail her.

"Lisa, please don't leave! Lisa, wait!" Lisa was just about out the door when Leslie reappeared from the powder room.

"So, is everyone ready for lunch," she asked, oblivious to the tension between the two. Lisa sighed.

"Leslie, it is a very kind offer, but I'm afraid I must…."

"I won't talk no for an answer," Leslie interrupted, looping Lisa's arm with her own and ushering her out of the café and down the street with Oliver close behind. He could see the look of desperation to escape the awkward situation, but knowing his fiancée, that wasn't likely to happen. Truthfully, he was rather glad his Leslie was as pushy as she was. This way, it gave him the chance to attempt to amend things with Lisa before she stormed off and out of his life forever, something which he did not want to happen.

"You must tell me every detail of how you saved my Oliver's life," he could hear Leslie gush to Lisa, causing him to chuckle a bit in amusement. This certainly was going to prove to be a very interesting lunch.


	3. Maid of Honor

Lunch had been….awkward to say the least. Leslie had chatted endlessly the entire two hours they had been there, going on and on about how she and Oliver had met and how they seemed a perfect match from the very beginning. Oliver had rolled his eyes at that statement. The truth of the matter was far from perfect.

After Oliver had returned from the war to Paris to be with his mother, she immediately introduced him to Leslie and her father. Oliver had had an inkling from that moment on that his mother was up to something more, and sure enough, soon his mother and Leslie's father began find excuses to constantly leave Leslie and Oliver alone together.

At first, he was a bit annoyed, but oddly enough it seemed to be working. He was finding himself becoming attracted to Leslie more and more; and soon they began dating steadily. After about four months or so, Oliver's mother had him convinced that he was in love with her, and had casually slipped him his grandmother's diamond engagement ring. A couple of nights later, caught up in a rush of emotion, he proposed to her, and soon the plans for the wedding began. It all seemed to happen in a matter of seconds.

Now, looking back on the situation, Oliver wasn't so sure things had played out quite fairly. His mother and Leslie's father had practically pushed the two together and left them alone so often, he couldn't help but grow fonder of her. After all, she was Oliver's only other female companion besides his mother. What if another woman had been present in his life? Would he have fallen for Leslie so fast? The fact that she was beautiful and practically threw herself at him didn't help matters either.

So now here he was, walking down the Champs Elysées with his soon-to-be-wife and newly found friend, asking himself all kinds of questions he knew he shouldn't be asking so close to their wedding date. Oliver sighed with discontentment.

"No really, Lisa, it's a marvelous idea," he heard his fiancée say when he tuned back into the conversation.

"What's a marvelous idea," Oliver questioned. Leslie shot him a dirty look.

"You weren't paying attention again," she whined, causing Oliver to wince slightly. He hated it when she used that tone of voice, but admitting to that would only get more whining and perhaps a slap in the face. Instead, he gave her a sheepish smile and she went on.

"I just asked Lisa to be my maid of honor!" At this, Oliver gasped with shock and began to choke slightly.

"You what," he spat out between coughs. Leslie gave him an odd look but continued.

"I asked Lisa to be my maid of honor," she repeated as it was the most natural thing in the world. Oliver stared back and forth between Leslie and Lisa, noticing Lisa was wearing the same look of panic and confusion he must have had.

"But Leslie, you've only known Lisa a few short hours…" he began to argue, but Leslie waved her hand dismissively.

"Piffle," she replied simply. "Since all my other friends are busy and cannot attend, I _need_ a maid of honor," she reasoned. Oliver sighed with frustration. Her only other friends were two old stuffy rich women from London. What could they _possibly_ be busy doing?!

"Besides," Leslie concluded, "if it hadn't been for Lisa, you wouldn't have been around to attend the ceremony. We owe her a great deal and I intend to pay her back in any way I can."

"There's really no need," Lisa replied in her thick, Hungarian accent. "I vould have done the same for anybody."

"Now don't try to get yourself out of this with modesty, Lisa. You're my maid of honor and that's final!" She wore a determined look on her face that obviously left no room for argument, so Lisa simply smiled wanly and agreed. Leslie in turn beamed and quickly wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"Perfect! Now, there are a few things I need you to take care of before the ceremony next week. I need you to come with me to get fitted for my dress; then we need to pick you out a dress as well. Oliver's tuxedo, the food, the ceremony, and the reception have already been arranged, but we also need to pick out the flowers, the china, the cake…." Leslie began to ramble again, so as usual Oliver tuned her out.

Instead, he focused on Lisa's reactions, which he had to admit were quite comical. She wore this look of panic on her face, as if she was coming to terms with exactly what she got herself into. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle when that look on her face intensified when Leslie looped her arm with her own and began to pull her down the street, all the while continuing with the list without hardly ever taking a breath.

But as comical as that situation may have been at the moment, Oliver began to wonder what he had gotten himself into as well. True, Lisa being the maid of honor meant that he would be able to spend more time with her (exactly what he had hoped for), but was that really a good idea at a time like that; a time when he was having such serious doubts about his and Leslie's relationship; a time when he was finding Lisa more adorable by the second. What was he to do if that feeling grew into something more? He couldn't take back his promise to Leslie now, it would hurt her too much! Not to mention the fact that it would hurt his mother and Leslie's father in the process as well. They had put so much energy in getting them together and planning the wedding, he couldn't just ruin it all now. Oliver sighed yet again as he ran a quickened his pace to catch up with the ladies.

_This is not going to end well._


	4. Stuck With All the Work

"But darling, I promised her I would go," Leslie whined to Oliver as she scurried back and forth between her closet and a suitcase that was lying on the bed. Oliver was seated just a couple of feet away on the opposite edge of the bed, watching her pile more and more clothes into the suitcase that was likely to bust at the seams if she forced it to hold anymore.

"Leslie, you can't go. We still have the wedding to plan! There are dozens of details that still have to be taken care of," Oliver argued back.

"Oh Lisa can take care of all that," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "She knows what I like."

"Now that wouldn't be fair at all to Lisa, dumping all of the planning responsibilities of _our _wedding," Oliver pointed out, but Leslie just shook her head.

"She wouldn't mind at all. Besides, it's not much to plan! All she needs to do is make a few simple choices and see that my dress gets tailored properly. We're about the same height anyway. And you'll be around to help her, of course, so there shouldn't be any problem."

"But dear-"

"I'm going, Oliver," she interrupted with poignancy, "and I will hear no more arguments against my decision."

Oliver sighed and slumped a bit in defeat. Of all the times for his fiancée to choose to go to London with his mother, it had to be now. And for what?! To attend some ridiculous tea party with the duke of something or other, he couldn't quite recall. All he knew was he and Lisa were going to be left alone to plan the rest of the wedding, a daunting task that Leslie had left them only ten days to complete. That's when she would be returning from London, and then after a quick rehearsal that night, the wedding ceremony would commence the very next day. Oliver could already feel his temples throbbing just at the very prospect of all that had to be done.

_Of course, _he reasoned, _there is one silver lining in this very annoying cloud._ He would get to work side by side with Lisa for the whole ten days, just the two of them. Sure, he had worked closely with her this past week taking care of some of the bigger details of the ceremony, but Leslie had always been there right by his side as well. With her gone, well…there was no telling how much closer they could get. Oliver felt his heart flutter slightly at the thought.

_Stop it, _he chastised himself, _what a terrible thing to think when your wedding is less than two weeks away and you're sitting in your fiancée's presence. _As much as he found himself growing fonder of Lisa, he still had an obligation to Leslie. He had promised her he was going to spend the rest of his life with her, and he was a man of his word. Besides, Leslie was the one he really loved….right?

Oliver watched as Leslie managed to stuff one last piece of clothing into her giant suitcase before she zipped it up and attempted to lift it off the bed. He quickly flew from his place on the edge of the bed and lent her a hand.

"Thank you, darling," Leslie said graciously. "Now let's take these down to the cab and I'll be off." Oliver nodded in agreement and proceeded to drag the heavy piece of luggage down the stairs and outside to the waiting cab. After loading it with the several other articles of luggage that had already been placed in the trunk, Oliver escorted Leslie into the cab and gave her a quick kiss goodbye.

"Try not to miss me too much, love," she said, giving him the urge to roll his eyes. "And be sure to get started right away with the planning. I expect everything done when I get back."

"Will do," Oliver agreed, stuffing his hands in his pockets to keep her from noticing him clench them with annoyance. He still didn't see why she insisted on running off, but he knew there was nothing he could do.

"Alright, goodbye dear," she called before allowing Oliver to slam the cab door shut. He then watched as the car zoomed off and out of sight, leaving him alone in the big empty house with a million wedding chores to do.

"Well," he reasoned, "might as well call Lisa and get started!" With a hint of excitement in his step, he bounded off back into the house to call his dear friend.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Oliver and Lisa were running all up and down the streets of Paris, visiting various boutiques and meeting with various people to discuss what Leslie had called "the finishing touches" of the ceremony and the reception, which they soon discovered was a gross understatement.

Though most of the big details of the wedding had already been planned by Oliver's mother and Leslie, Oliver and Lisa realized that the two had obviously over-looked just what into the finer details of the wedding. It had been left up to Oliver and Lisa to find a band for the reception, find a small symphony quartet for the ceremony, get the flowers, pick the china, pick the cake, arrange where everyone was to sit, plan out what was to take place and when, reserve the horse and carriage Leslie insisted on having, and so much more that it was enough to have them in a somewhat of a mode of panic. All day they ran around to get as much done as possible so not to have to cram everything into the last minute, and it was enough to make even the fittest person totally exhausted. Oliver's feet were about ready to give up.

But strangely enough, the day and the planning weren't as unbearable as Oliver thought it was going to be. In fact, to him the day had gone by rather quickly, perhaps because he never realized how entertaining Lisa was until then. When they weren't talking wedding details, she and he would exchange stories about their childhood and their families and such. He had to admit his stories were a little on the dull side, but Lisa always managed to come up with some cute anecdote that just made the day seem to go by a little bit easier. Oliver was enjoying her company immensely. Now as Oliver sat in the boutique where Leslie's gown was being held, Lisa was again regaling him with another one of her stories while she slipped into the gown to have it fitted.

"And so my father traded four chickens and a goat vith him, and everything was settled," she called out from the small dressing room adjacent to a little platform where the fitting would take place. Oliver chuckled a bit.

"So you're saying that your father had to pay the doctor four chickens and a goat or your mother and he wouldn't have been allowed to take you home after you were born?"

"Yes," Lisa concluded, "and he vould never let me forget it. To this day he says I owe him four chickens and a goat!" Oliver laughed again.

"If you ask me, I think he got the better end of the deal," he replied, covering his mouth a bit with shame. He hadn't meant for that little compliment to slip out, it sounded too much on the flirtatious side. Thankfully Lisa just awed.

"Thank you, Olivah," she said sweetly, causing him to blush a bit. He looked down and absent-mindedly began cleaning his pocket watch, all the while wondering why the sound of her saying his name sent shivers up and down his spine. He must have been wondering too hard, because he completely didn't notice when Lisa stepped out of the dressing room and onto the platform wearing his fiancée's wedding gown. Only when he heard her clear her throat poignantly did he look up from his chore, and when he did he felt his breath catch in his throat.

If nothing else, his fiancée certainly did have good taste. She had chosen an elegant gown of white brocade with a fitted bodice and sheer straps over the shoulders. A long white train extended from the back and floated gracefully behind the gown like a cloud, and the veil shimmered about Lisa's head like a halo. She was simply radiant.

"Well what do you think," Lisa asked as she did a graceful twirl, somewhat snapping Oliver out of his trance. He shook his head a bit to clear it and smiled at her.

"You look beautiful," he replied, giving it more as a statement rather than a compliment. Lisa blushed slightly.

"Thank you," she answered, "but I meant about the length."

"Oh," Oliver cried out, clearing his throat a bit with awkwardness. "Oh yes, the length is fine. Leslie will be pleased with it." He took out his watch again and pretended to be very intent on removing the scratch that had been there for years. He could practically feel Lisa's eyes boring into the top of his head, trying to read him, and it took everything he had to keep from fidgeting under her gaze. Thankfully, after a few seconds, he heard the gown swish as Lisa wordlessly stepped off from the platform and walked back to into the dress room. When he was sure she was out of sight, Oliver relaxed a bit and stuff his watch back into his pocket.

_Nice going, you idiot, _he screamed inwardly. He had really slipped up that time; that was beyond flirtation. That little incident was bordering on serious infatuation and both of them knew it. He had felt it when they made eye contact for a brief second, and he was sure she felt it too. But there was nothing either of them could do about it. Oliver was engaged, and that was that.

Disgusted with himself for even thinking about those feelings, Oliver quickly tried to conjure up an image of Leslie in his mind, but he couldn't get the picture of Lisa standing there in that wedding gown out of his mind. She had looked so beautiful, and he had felt his heart skipped a beat when she looked into his eyes. Oliver slumped into his seat and put his head in his hands.

_I'm in trouble._


	5. The Party

With Lisa to keep him company, days flew by at the speed of light to Oliver, and before they knew it the day before the wedding had arrived. Leslie was due back from her trip any moment now and Lisa and Oliver had been immensely relieved to discover that had gotten the last of the remaining tasks done that morning, just in the nick of time. Now they sat the train station, tired and out of breath from running all across the city, waiting for Leslie's train to pull in. In the meantime, they sipped on the cups of tea they purchased from the little café on the corner and talked quietly.

"And ever since then I've always wanted to own one of my own some day," Oliver concluded. He had just finished recapping the story of his birth on a farm.

"And just staying there those few days stuck vith you this long," Lisa asked, her tone hinted with just a bit of amazement.

"Yup," he replied proudly. "I don't know what it was about that farm, but it just never left my system. I guess you could say it's in my blood to be a farmer."

"So I see," she replied with a smile.

"I guess you think this all sounds silly, but I just can't let go of this dream. I know I'm always gonna have this desire to plant little seeds in the rich brown earth…and watching them shoot up towards the sun and the sky!" As he spoke his eyes grew starry and he made over-exaggerated hand gestures to emphasize to her just how much it all meant to him. When he concluded his hands remained raised in the air, as if they were reaching towards the sun and he gazed up, imagining a whole crop of tall green corn swaying before him.

All of a sudden he was aware of how foolish he must look, so he quickly lowered his hands and bowed his head, refusing to her eyes to avoid the disgust that he knew must be present in them.

"Vell if you feel that passionately about it, then you should definitely go for it one day," he heard her sweet voice say instead. He looked up and tried to mask his surprise.

"Really?"

"Of course, dahling," she stated simply.

"And you don't think it's silly," Oliver couldn't help but ask.

"Vhy vould I think that," she replied incredulously. "It's never silly to go after your dreams."

Oliver couldn't believe he was actually hearing those words. No one, not even his own mother, ever encouraged him to go after his dream. Leslie had even gone so far as to laugh in his face and declare that no husband of hers would ever be seen "digging in the dirt like a commoner" as she so gracefully put it. To finally have someone that actually cared about his dreams was the single most exciting new aspect of his life.

"Lisa," he said softly, "thank you."

"For vot?"

"For….just for being you," he told her with the up most sincerity, starting deep into her big brown eyes for extra emphasis. He knew he was probably confusing her but still a pleasant smile spread across her face, causing all different kinds of unprecedented emotions to swell in his heart. Suddenly he was aware of how subconsciously close he had moved towards her, their faces were just inches apart. He cleared his throat awkwardly and broke eye contact, desperately scanning for another place to stare. He finally spotted something shiny on Lisa's hand.

"Where did you ever get a ring like that," Oliver asked as he gestured to the giant ring that adorned Lisa's finger. She lifted her hand gracefully and smiled.

"It vas a family heirloom," she said somewhat proudly as she looked down and fingered it. "It used to belong to my great grandmother, queen of the gypsies."

At this, Oliver's eyes shot up in surprise. "Your great grandmother was a gypsy? Does that make you a gypsy?"

"Vell, not exactly, but my family comes from a long line of famous gypsies. That is vhy ve had to flee Hungary during the var. Hitler and his men found out about our family and raided the house. Ve managed to escape, but…"

Lisa trailed off and stared into space for a second. Oliver could see a new pain in her eyes that hadn't been there before, and his heart ached for her. But as quickly as it appeared, it faded away, and was replaced with the shining joy that had been there before.

"Anyvay," she said quickly, as if wanting to wipe away the painful thoughts, "vhen ve fled, my father knew that they would take it avay if they found him vith it, so he smuggled it past the Nazis in a jar of chickens fat!"

"Chicken fat," Oliver exclaimed incredulously.

"Yes, chickens fat," Lisa replied, puzzled at the tone of his voice.

Oliver pressed his lips together to keep from laughing, but he couldn't contain it. He opened his mouth and slipped into uncontrollable laughter.

"Vot's so funny," Lisa cried indignantly.

"I'm sorry," Oliver said as he tried to take deep breaths to suppress his laughing, "but that was one of the silliest thing I've ever heard!"

Lisa pouted as if his reaction had hurt her, but Oliver could see her eyes dancing with suppressed amusement.

"Vell, I don't think it vas so silly. I'm glad he smuggled it in a jar of chickens fat," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, and why is that," he asked.

"Because if he hadn't, it vouldn't slide on and off so easily," she replied, sliding her ring on and off as a demonstration. At that, she and Oliver both burst into a fit of giggles lasting for several minutes. When they finally did calm down, Oliver's sides ached and he had to wipe away a few tears from his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much or so earnestly in one afternoon.

"Oh would you like for me to get you some more tea," he asked her when he noticed she was holding an empty cup in her hand.

"Oh no thank you, Olivah. I've had enough," she replied.

"Well then let me take this off your hands." He made a motion to take the cup away from her, but at the same time she had attempted to hand it over to him. His hand collided with her cup and it went sailing to the floor.

"I'm terribly sorry," he apologized quickly as he went to pick it up.

"No no, it vas my fault. I'll get it," she insisted, but Oliver still went to pick it up anyway, figuring it was his duty as a gentleman. Both individuals reached for the cup at the exact same time and as a result Oliver inadvertently wrapped his hand around Lisa's. The brought the cup back up together, their hands lingering in the tender clasp and their eyes locked in an emotional gaze.

The cup was already retrieved, Oliver knew he could easily let go, but for some reason he had no desire to. The warmth and softness of her hand felt so good against his own, and it sent all kinds of sparks flying through his body. Never in his life had he felt a touch so passionate. It thrilled him even further when he noticed Lisa made no move to remove his hand from on top of her own, and he took advantage of her lack of retreat fully.

"Lisa, I…" he began to say, but all of a sudden a third voice was thrown into the mixture.

"There you two are," Leslie chirped as she approached them, completely unnoticed. "My train's been in for about five minutes now; I thought you were going to be there when it arrived.

Oliver retracted his hand quickly and tore his eyes away from Lisa's to smile at Leslie.

"I'm sorry, dear," he told her. "I guess we got…preoccupied."

"So I see," she retorted a bit haughtily, throwing a quick look of disdain Lisa's way. Lisa blinked rapidly, not sure she had actually _seen_ that look or just imagined it, for in a split second that flaky adoration Leslie had showered her with returned and she was all smiles.

"Well I suppose no harm done," she continued dismissively, taking the opportunity to grab Oliver's hand possessively. "Come now darlings, we have much to do before the rehearsal and the party tonight!"

She began to drag Oliver away towards a waiting town car without another word, and Lisa was quick to follow. Truth be told, Oliver was a bit relieved Leslie had showed up when she did and continued to go off at a hundred miles a minute; it gave him the perfect distraction from what had just taken place a couple of seconds ago. He wasn't been sure what had been ready to spill from his mouth back there, but with the feelings he was having he was certain it wasn't anything good. There was a lot of confusion going on inside him at the moment, and until he could sort it all out he knew he knew it'd be best to play on the safe side and keep his mouth shut, before it caused him and others around him immense grief.

* * *

Later that evening Oliver was all suited up in his tuxedo, waiting by the grand staircase of Leslie's villa for her and Lisa to come down from changing. The wedding rehearsal had gone by without a hitch, which was to be expected because everyone knew that Leslie would have had a fit if anything went wrong, and now all there was left to do was make it through the party. He couldn't wait until it was all over; he knew it was bound to be just as dull as the wedding rehearsal. The only exciting prospect was the chance to get to chat with Lisa during the evening, other than that he couldn't have been dreading it more.

"Alright, we're ready," he heard Leslie announce from somewhere out of sight. Both women proceeded to round the corner, and Oliver couldn't help but give out a little gasp. He knew he should have been marveling at Leslie, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't tear his eyes away from a certain blonde instead.

Leslie was certainly beautiful, he had to admit, but the arrogant way she carried herself made her beauty somewhat cold and unapproachable. Lisa, on the other hand, practically sparkled with a glow that he knew must come from a good heart and a kind spirit; and it seemed to give her this air of innocence and likeability. Lisa's qualities made her beauty irresistible.

The women finished descending the stairs at the same time, but instead of joining his side like he wished Lisa went off unescorted to the party. Leslie instead swooped in and looped her arm with his.

"How do I look," she asked him with a smug smile.

"Beautiful as always, dear," he replied mostly out of habit. By experience he knew any less of an answer would earn him a hard smack on the arm. Leslie flashed him a dazzling smile and pulled him along with her towards the party in the ball room. Already Oliver wished the evening was over.

Two hours passed and Oliver was still standing in the same spot by Leslie's side, chatting with two of the most phony people he ever met in his life about things that meant absolutely nothing to him. Past the couple he could see Lisa on the opposite side of the room, surrounded by a group of men that were obviously quite taken with her. She had apparently just finished telling another cute anecdote, for Oliver watched with jealousy as all the men laughed heartily. How he wished he could be over there to hear what she had just said.

"Isn't that right, Oliver," he suddenly heard his fiancée ask. He turned to her and stared at her with a blank expression.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I _said_ we'll be visiting Italy for our honeymoon," she filled him in with a hint of annoyance. Apparently she wasn't used to being ignored.

"Oh yes, whatever you say Lisa," he replied offhandedly as he turned his gaze back to the actual Lisa. At this he felt her hand clench on to his arm tighter.

"What did you just call me," she demanded to know.

"Leslie," he stated simply.

"Oh no, you didn't," she retorted in a polite yet tense tone. "I believe you called me Lisa!" Rage stormed in her eyes and Oliver could tell he messed up big time.

"Oh, I'm so sorry dear. I didn't mean to. It's just your names sound so alike! Leslie, Lisa, see?" He smiled apologetically and hoped to high heaven that she would buy his explanation. He could see that for the sake of saving face in public, she did. Oliver breathed a sigh of relief and tried his best to stay more tuned into the conversation.

Another fifteen minutes passed by dully and he finally managed to find a way to excuse himself from his fiancé's side. He took full advantage of that chance and decided to escape the party itself, at least just for a little while. He strolled along some of the adjacent hallways, admiring some art that adorned the walls and reflecting on things. All of a sudden he heard voices coming from the end of the hall he was staring down, and they did not sound harmonious. He quickened his pace to go investigate.

Peeking around from the edge of the wall, he spotted Lisa standing with a gentleman he recognized as one of Leslie's relative's friend she had invited for no apparent reason, and as one of the men who had been surrounded Lisa all evening. He was standing a bit too close to Lisa for Oliver's comfort and he was speaking in harsh tones.

"Come now darling, just join me in my hotel for a little while," he said with a thick French accent.

"I already told you, my answer is no," Lisa replied firmly as she attempted to walk away, but the Frenchman grabbed her by the wrist and held her in place.

"And I told you that I do not take no for an answer." His tone was a bit on the threatening side and it made Oliver's every muscle tense up with anger. How dare that cad speak to Lisa like that?!

"Sir, I do not know who you think you are that you can speak to me in such a manner, but I vill stand for it no longer! I've asked you several times during the evening to please leave me alone, but I'm through being polite! Leave me alone or I vill send the guards after you!" Her voice was full of strength and determination, and it made Oliver swell up with pride; he had no idea she was such a strong woman. He watched with a bit of a smirk on his face as Lisa yanked her hand out of the Frenchman's grasp and prepared to walk away once more. But that smirk quickly disappeared when the Frenchman grabbed her by the arm in a rough manner and pulled her violently back to him.

"How dare you speak to me in such a manner, woman," he yelled in her face, squeezing her arm so tight his knuckles were turning white.

"Let go of me," she demanded, her voice laced with a hint of fear. She wriggled in the man's clutch to attempt to break free, but it only made him squeeze tighter. Oliver couldn't take it any longer.

"Take your hands off her," he commanded as he stepped out from around the corner and made his presence known. The Frenchman shot a quick glance at Oliver and clearly didn't see him as a threat, for he quickly turned his attention back to Lisa.

"This is none of your business, American," he roared to him without taking his eyes or hands off Lisa. "Be gone!"

"Oh I'm making it my business," Oliver shot back. "Let her go before I make you let her go." The Frenchman scoffed and squeezed Lisa's arm even tighter, causing her to wince and even whimper slightly. This flared Oliver's temper beyond boiling point.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that," the Frenchman challenged. Without so much as a warning, Oliver charged over to him and planted a hard right hook to the man's jaw, breaking his hold on Lisa and causing him to sail backwards to the floor. Lisa stumbled a bit at the sudden and violent way she had been released, but Oliver was quick to catch her in his arms. They took a couple of steps backwards as the Frenchman returned to his feet slowly, dazed and holding his injured jaw in his hand. He stared back and forth between the couple, attempting to look threatening but failing miserably as his jaw was already beginning to swell. Without another word he stumbled from the room and out the door. Oliver stared after him, communicating his hatred with his glare, before returning his attention back to Lisa.

"Are you alright," he asked her with a look of concern, fingering the bruises that were already forming on her arm. Lisa nodded.

"Yes, I'll be fine," she assured him. "Are you alright, dahling? You hand must hurt terribly." She turned her worried eyes to his hand and carefully examined it. Now that she had mentioned it, his hand did ache a bit (funny how he hadn't noticed before) but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He took the hand that was examining his with his other hand and squeezed it gently.

"I'm fine," he told her as he stared deep into her brown eyes. She smiled lovingly.

"Thank you for defending me, Olivah," she told him softly. "You are very brave."

"Bravery had nothing to do with it," he replied. "I couldn't just stand back and let anything happen to my best friend, could I?" Lisa smiled even wider and a few tears shined in her eyes, causing Oliver's heart to swell again. She broke eye contact to hide them which only charmed him even more.

"We better be getting back to the party," she told him as she began to walk away, expecting him to follow.

"Lisa," he called in an attempt to stop her. She paused and turned around.

"Yes," she asked, staring at him questioningly with her lovely doe eyes. He stared at her, marveling at how the candlelight shining about her from behind made her even more impossibly beautiful. His head completely forgot what it was going to say, so his heart immediately took over. Instead of saying anything he closed the gap between them and kissed her tenderly. Some part of him knew it was wrong, but to his heart it felt so right. The kiss lasted for several seconds before Lisa abruptly broke it off.

"Olivah, we can't," she told him sadly, stepping backwards to put some space between them again.

"I know, I know," he consented. "It's just….I realized something a week ago, Lisa, maybe even the first time we met." He paused, not sure if this confession was the right thing to do, but he knew he couldn't contain it any longer. "I love you."

Shock etched Lisa's face for a brief second before the overwhelming sadness returned.

"You can't, Olivah. You can't love me. You're marrying Leslie tomorrow…you made a promise to her. And no matter vot I may feel, I can't hurt her like that."

"But Lisa, I….we…" he struggled desperately to come up with a good argument, but his logical side knew she was right. This wasn't fair to Leslie or to anyone involved in the wedding. But still….

"You love Leslie, Olivah," she continued, interrupting his thoughts. "I know you do. You'll be happy vith her…and we'll always be the best of friends."

"What if that's not good enough," Oliver answered. Lisa looked at him sadly for a second, her eyes clearly stating that it would have to be. The fact of the matter was he was getting married tomorrow and that was that. So Lisa walked over to him and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before whispering in his ear.

"I do love you, Olivah," she admitted softly. "But you're not mine." And with those last words that left no room for argument, she pushed passed him and walked away, leaving a confused and saddened Oliver behind.

* * *

Neither of them had betted on a third party's witness to that little moment of forbidden romance, but it just so happened that Leslie had secretly stumbled upon them while in search of Oliver. She watched the whole thing with seething rage, clenching her fists as her fiancée and her maid of honor exchanged sweet secret words before parting in a sad and dramatic fashion.

Instead of being hurt as any bride would be, she was outraged. She had worked too long and too hard to land Oliver and his family's riches, she'd be damned if she was gonna let some little blonde hussy come take it all away from her now. Already an evil plot was starting to form in Leslie's head, and she was going to put it into use first thing tomorrow morning.

"They'll be sorry they tried to make a fool out of me," she vowed to herself. "They'll see."

With a vindictive smile spread across her face she returned to the party, acting as if nothing happened.


	6. Commitments

The next morning Oliver stood in his room, adjusting his tie in the mirror and reflecting on last night, when there came a rapid knock at the door.

"Come in," he called without looking away from his task. He watched through the reflection as the door swung open and Leslie stepped in, already fully dressed in her wedding gown.

"Hello darling," she told him sweetly as she closed the door behind her.

"Leslie, what are you doing here? I thought it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"I know," she answered, "I figured it was alright since you've already seen the dress. Here, let me help you with that." She walked over to him and turned him around to fix his tie properly. Oliver had no choice but to consent. A silence fell between them as Leslie worked to undo the tie completely to reapply it properly.

"Oliver, do you love me," she asked out of nowhere. Naturally, he was a bit taken aback.

"Uh, of course I love you. Why do you ask," he replied, stumbling over his words.

"Then you would do anything for me?"

"Yes," he answered a bit warily. "Leslie, what is all this about?"

"Nothing," she answered innocently. "I just have a favor to ask of you before we can get married. And if you really love me like you claim you do, it shouldn't be a problem."

"And what is that," Oliver asked, afraid of the answer.

"I want you to never see Lisa again.

"What," Oliver exclaimed as she jumped back to cease the tie-tying. "What do you mean never see Lisa again?! She's my best friend! She saved my life! Why can't I ever see her again?"

"Do I really need to give you a reason?"

"One would be nice, yes," he shot back.

"I see the way you look at her, Oliver," she told him as she resumed adjusting his tie. "I see the way you two are with each other. And I will not have _my _fiancée carousing about with another woman and make _me_ look like a fool in public! Do you understand?"

Oliver kept silent, partially because he was afraid of the rage in her eyes and partially because he knew she had every right to be upset. He had been acting more loving to Lisa the past week or so than he had to his own fiancée and that just wasn't fair to her. But to never see Lisa again? How would he manage that?

"Now," Leslie continued more calmly, "she is still going to be a part of the wedding only because there is no time to find another maid of honor, but after that I never want to even see you two in the same room ever again, is that clear?"

"Yes dear," Oliver agreed in a lackluster tone. Leslie smiled.

"Good! Now that we've come to an agreement, it is time to leave for the church. I'll be riding with my mother and your mother wants to ride with you, is that alright?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Excellent!" She finished adjusting his tie and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "See you at the altar, my love!" And with those last words she whisked away, leaving a heartbroken Oliver behind.

* * *

At the church, Oliver paced about the small waiting room they had assigned him to while hundreds of guests piled in to the grand cathedral. Somewhere his mother and future mother-in-law were helping Leslie put the final touches on her appearance before the actual service could begin, leaving nothing for him to do but to wait for his cue. He wished they would hurry up so they could get the whole thing over with. The faster they could get it done the faster he could go about trying to figure out how he was going live the remainder of his life without Lisa. Suddenly he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he called as he quit pacing, hoping it would be Lisa. It was his sister, Cynthia, who entered instead.

"Hey little brother," she greeted him sweetly. Oliver smiled, relieved to finally see someone he could trust.

"Is it time for me to come out yet," he asked her. She shook her head.

"Not yet. I just wanted to come and see how you were doing." She walked over to a nearby settee and took a seat before giving him a concerned look. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," he answered quickly. "Great in fact! It is my wedding day after all! Why do you ask?"

"Well…it's just that you don't _seem_ fine," she answered gently. Oliver sighed, not knowing why he had even tried to hide his feelings from his sister. She could always read him like a book.

"Cynthia, can I ask you a question," he asked her as he took a seat next to her on the settee

"You know you can," she replied as she angled her body to meet his eyes.

"What's love supposed to feel like?" His sister furrowed her brows in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"What's love supposed to feel like," he repeated more earnestly. When the confusion still didn't wipe away from her face he continued. "It's just….I know I feel something for Leslie. It's there whenever I look at her. But when I look at Lisa and I feel something totally different, and I wanna know which one is love…the _real_ kind of love."

"Well, what is it that you feel for Lisa," Cynthia asked.

"I don't know how to describe it," Oliver admitted. "I feel...just these sparks even when our hands touch only for a second. And I feel like I want to be with her all the time, even in those rare moments when she's not being funny or charming or sweet. I just want her to be there with me, you know? And I want to take care of her, and I want to protect her, and I want to make sure she gets everything she ever desired." As he spoke his passion grew and he leaped from his seat and began to pace at him. His sister followed his movement back and forth before bursting into laughter.

"What's so funny," he demanded to know as he quit pacing.

"I don't see how you can be so confused when it's pretty obvious that you _are _in love with Lisa!"

"So that's what love is," he asked. Cynthia nodded.

"I thought so," he admitted. He flopped back down on the settee next to her and sighed. "What am I gonna do, Cindy? I want to be with Lisa but I made a promise to Leslie. I don't wanna hurt her!"

"Well she's gonna get hurt eventually if you just stay with her without really loving her," she pointed out. Oliver sighed again and put his head in his hands, now even more unsure of what to do.

"Look Oliver," Cynthia said as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I can't tell you who to choose to be with, that has to be _your _decision. But let me ask you this….what's seems worse to you: breaking a promise or a life without Lisa?"

A stunned silence followed as Oliver weighed the question his sister posed to him. What would be worse?! He knew he was going to look like a total cad, breaking off an engagement on the actual wedding day. But a life without Lisa? How would he be able to live? Suddenly the pair was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"They're ready to begin, Oliver," his sister's husband announced upon opening the door. Oliver smiled lovingly at Cynthia before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks big sis," he told her.

"Any time, little brother." He smiled at her once more before taking in a deep breath and exiting the room. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

Oliver stood at the head of the altar, listening to the wedding march and watching Leslie march impossibly slow down the long aisle.

_This is for the best, _he kept telling himself over and over. He made a commitment to Leslie, and it was only fair that he see it out. _This is for the best._

He scanned to the left and right of him at the bridesmaids and the groomsmen, all of whom were from Leslie's side of the family. Suddenly he realized something. Lisa was not present.

_Where could she be, _he thought to himself in a panic. He had been counting on seeing her one last time so he could maybe make peace with her before saying goodbye forever. Oliver felt his heart sink into deep sadness.

_Oh well, maybe it's for the best, _he thought. It probably would have been too hard on the both of them to see each other under those circumstances. He guessed she had done the right thing by not attending.

The orchestra had to play the wedding march three times before Leslie finally made her way up the aisle after posing for every camera she saw. Oliver rolled his eyes and fidgeting in his place, wishing they would just get along with the ceremony before his urge to run away overwhelmed him. _This is for the best!_

Leslie turned toward him and smiled, which he returned with a wane smile of his own. The priest began to recite the wedding vows as Oliver continued to fidget. Leslie recited her vows first before it was finally his turn.

"I, Oliver Wendell Douglas, take thee, Leslie Dubois, to be my lawful wedding wife," he repeated after the priest.

_No you don't, _his heart scream.

"To have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death do us part."

_No you don't, you take Lisa,_ his heart continued to shout, but Oliver did his best to ignore it. This was the decision he had made and he had to stick to it. He just had to. But as he slipped the ring on Leslie's finger and looked up, he was surprised when all he could see was Lisa's face smiling back at him from under that veil, looking just as beautiful as she had when she had tried it on that day at the boutique. Oliver blinked rapidly to erase the image but it was to no avail.

"Do you, Leslie, take Oliver to be your lawfully wedded husband," he heard the preacher asked.

"I do," she piped in quickly. Oliver felt a sweat break out as all eyes turned to him.

"And do you, Oliver, take Leslie to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Oliver knew what he had to say next, and he knew he should say it quickly, but he felt as though his tongue had turned to lead. It was Leslie he was agreeing to marry, he knew that, but then why wouldn't Lisa's face get out of his mind?

"I…." he attempted to answer, "I….."

Oliver sighed. This was wrong…so terribly wrong. He was supposed to agree to stay with her until death did they part, but how could he do that when he wasn't even in love with her? If he agreed, it would be just like he was lying to his entire family, and to Leslie's; not to mention God himself. He couldn't go through with this.

"I can't," he told everyone. A stunned gasp sounded from the guests followed by angry whispers. At the moment he didn't really care.

"I'm so sorry, Leslie," he apologized sincerely. "I should have told you earlier, but I'm in love with someone else. I just can't go through with this." He let out a deep sigh of relief as he felt a ton of weight lift off his shoulders. It felt so good to finally tell the truth.

All of a sudden he felt a sharp pain as Leslie slapped him hard across his right cheek. Apparently he had thought that last thought too soon.

"Okay, I deserved that," he consented as he put a hand to his injured cheek, not quite sure what to do next. He looked about the church at all the cold, judgmental looks he was receiving from everyone and could only think of one so he did. He took off out down the aisle, passed a stunned group of wedding guests, and sprinted out of the church in search of his true love. He only stopped when he realized he had absolutely no idea where to look for her. Luckily he spotted one of Leslie's faithful drivers waiting by a limo out front.

"Sir, do you have any idea where I can find Lisa, Leslie's maid of honor," he called out as he quickly approached him.

"Leslie's maid of honor," the old man repeated. "Why, Miss Leslie made me take her to the train station about an hour ago. She said that the woman was going back to Hungary where she belonged."

Oliver's temper flared. It was just like his ex-fiancée to do something so underhanded.

"Thank you sir," he told the old man before quickly hailing a cab. He had to get to that train station before he lost Lisa forever.

* * *

Oliver pushed past mobs of people and made his way over to the service station, hoping against hope that the train to Hungary hadn't departed yet. He approached the man working there.

"Excuse me," he said frantically, "has the train to Hungary left the station yet?!"

"To Hungary," the man repeated as he slowly flipped through a large stack of papers with train departure information. Oliver fidgeted anxiously as the man seemed to take forever to scan each page. "Oh yes! Here it is! The train to Hungary left the station about twenty minutes ago."

Oliver felt his heart sink to his feet as he processed the information. He was too late.

"Thank you," he told the man sadly as he trudged off in search of a place to be alone. He found an empty bench in a secluded area of the train station and sat down dejectedly, trying to decide what to do next. He certainly couldn't go back to that church, and even if he did have the means to travel to Hungary in search of her he wouldn't even know where to look. It seemed like all hope was lost.

Suddenly a gleam of golden hair caught his eye across the station. His heart automatically jumped a bit at the sight of it, but he quickly calmed down, figuring it couldn't possibly be her. He continued to stare at the far away blonde, marveling at the similarities between her and Lisa. It was actually quite remarkable.

"It is her," he suddenly realized as the crowd parted a bit and he was able to get a better look. "Lisa!"

She didn't hear him, of course, so Oliver leaped from his seat and began running towards her, all the while calling her name like a mad man.

"Lisa," he exclaimed once more as he came closer to her. She turned and he watched her face light up when she caught sight of him. Before she could say anything Oliver wrapped his arms around her in sheer excitement and held her close, never wanting to let go.

"Olivah, vot are you doing here," he asked into his shoulder. "I thought you vere supposed to be marrying Leslie."

"I was, but I just couldn't go through with it. I realized she's not the one I love," he told her, pulling away a bit so he could stare deep into her eyes and try to communicate that it was her he loved instead. Lisa smiled lovingly.

"What are you doing here," Oliver suddenly asked. "I thought you were going to catch a train to Hungary!"

"I vas too, but I realized I couldn't go vithout saying goodbye to you first. I vas actually on my vay to your reception." Oliver laughed.

"Well I guess now we're both just going to have to miss it," he joked, causing her to giggle a bit. A silence fell between them as Oliver planned out what he was going to say next.

"Lisa," he began to say as he took both of her hands in his. "I realized that I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life, all so I just wouldn't have to break a promise. But I realize now that that was wrong. It wouldn't be fair to Leslie and it definitely wouldn't have been fair to me. You're the one that I really love, Lisa. And you're the one that I always want by my side."

"Oh Olivah, I love you too," she replied sincerely. "Vith all my heart."

With that they both leaned in and kissed; a passionate, romantic kiss with all the feelings for each other that they had been trying to push aside since the first time they met. A truly was the perfect end to a perfect romance.

_No, _Oliver corrected himself as he continued to kiss her and hold onto her tight, _it's the perfect beginning._


	7. Where He Was Meant To Be

**Drucker's General Store, present day**

"And so we dated for a while and then got married," Oliver concluded. "And that's the story." A loud honk of a nose sounded and he was incredibly surprised to find a crying Mr. Haney behind him.

"Mr. Haney, when did you get here," he asked incredulously.

"About the same time they did," he replied with a wave of his hand. Oliver, Lisa and Eb turned their attention from Mr. Drucker to the door, where they found about half the down gathered on the porch, all busy wiping tears away from their eyes.

"Olivah," Lisa whispered to her husband, "I thought you said the next time ve told a story, ve vere going to charge admissions."

**

* * *

**

**The Douglas Farm, later that night**

Lisa sat by her vanity applying various nightly creams to her arms as Oliver stood by the bed doing a couple of squats behind her.

"Olivah, vot do you suppose vas in that letter," she suddenly asked. Earlier they had both agreed it would be best not to open it, seeing as how that part of their lives was behind them, but Oliver knew sooner or later curiosity would get the best of his wife.

"Do you really wanna know, Lisa," he asked.

"Vell…." She thought about it for a second. "It certainly vould be interesting to know." Oliver laughed.

"Alright fine, but only if you're sure."

"I'm sure," she replied quickly, grabbing the letter from her vanity and walking over to her husband's side. He gently took it from her and opened it up quickly.

"It's an invitation," he told her incredulously.

"To vot," Lisa asked.

"To her marriage to the Duke something or other, I can't quite pronounce his name…" Lisa took the letter from him and scanned it quickly.

"Hey, I vas engaged to him before I met you," she cried out, sounded a bit offended. Oliver laughed at the incredible irony.

"So I ended up marrying his fiancée and you ended marrying hers," he asked with a laugh.

"I guess so," she said with a shrug, not able to help but chuckle a bit herself. Oliver took the invitation from her place it back into the envelope and put it aside.

"I wonder why on earth she would invite us. I can imagine she still hates us," he pondered.

"Maybe she's trying to make expends," Lisa offered.

"I think you mean _amends_, dear," he corrected with a laugh. She rolled her eyes.

"Same thing," she replied dismissively. They proceeded to help each other ready their sheets for bed when Lisa suddenly piped up again.

"Olivah, do you ever wonder vot vould have happened if I had gotten on that train?"

"Yes, I do," he replied quietly, not really liking to think about the scary possibility.

"Vhere do you think ve vould be today," she asked.

"Well, I would probably be living in some big chateau in Paris, and you would probably be married to some duke or king and living in Hungary," he guessed. Lisa nodded in agreement as they hopped into bed together.

"Do you ever regret the vay things turned out," she asked.

"Of course not," Oliver replied quickly. "Do you?"

"Not for a second," she answered sincerely. "Even if ve are living in a hovel in the middle of novhere." Oliver couldn't help but chuckle quietly.

"You made all my dreams come true, Lisa," he told her, "I don't think that would have happened if I had chosen anyone else."

"I feel the same," she replied with a loving smile. Oliver leaned in and gave her a tender kiss on the lips.

"Then I guess we were just meant to be," he told her before giving her one last kiss. Lisa smiled and nodded in agreement. Then the pair flicked off their lights on either side of their beds and settled down for the night, scooting in close to each other and taking the each other's hand.

"I love you Lisa," he said in the darkness, "and nothing will ever change that."

"I love you too, Olivah," he heard her reply. "I always will." He pulled her hand close to his lips and gave it a tender kiss before wishing her good night and closing his eyes. Lisa fell asleep right away, he realized as he heard her breathing even out. Oliver, however, stayed up for a bit longer, soaking in the peace of the moment and listening to the soft sounds of his farm outside. Oliver then sighed happily before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, knowing perfectly well that that was where he truly was meant to be.

THE END

* * *

I'm sorry it took me so long to finish up this story, it's been quite an eventful couple of months and I had prior story commitments to take care of. But it finally is done and I hope you did get some enjoyment out of it! Thanks to those who continued to read and review, and I hope you continue to do so with my future projects. Until we meet again! 


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